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The Shriners Children’s Hospital system is the largest pediatric provider of prosthetics and orthotics in the United States.
Across their 17 labs, they distributed 56,000 orthotic devices and 4,800 prosthetic devices just last year.
Many patients have been receiving care for nearly their entire lives, including 21-year-old Mercy Pacheco Sanchez. She was born with Adams-Oliver Syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that left her with limb differences in her fingers and without much of her right leg.
She’s been visiting Shriners for her new legs since she was around a year old, some of which she’s dressed up with fun fabrics and designs.
“I was born unique- might as well show it and not be afraid to be unique, you know?” said Pacheco Sanchez.
Throughout her journey, certified prosthetist Sabrina Jakobson Huston has been there the whole time.
“To watch them go into adulthood is very rewarding,” she said. “They’re like my children. I love seeing that Mercy has gone to school, she’s had a profession.”
“She’s the best, she’s been there my ups and downs, never given up on me when times have gotten rough, when it comes to making the perfect leg for me,” Pacheco Sanchez said.
Many of those perfect legs are made right down the hall from the clinic, some are hand-sculpted, and others are made through a 3D printing device.
Pacheco Sanchez said that in middle school, she became self-conscious about her differences, but doesn’t hide them anymore.
“Being unique can be a little hard, but it’s something that I need to embrace and love about myself,” she said. “[I can do] almost everything that a normal person can do, and it makes me feel very proud of myself in a way because even though I look like I’m limited, I’m actually not. I can run, I can do exercise, I can go to the gym, dress however I want, walk however I want.”
Jakobson Huston said the biggest misconception families have when their children have limb differences is that their lives have to look drastically different, or that their lives won’t be as full or meaningful.
“People think, well, you have an artificial limb, you really can’t do everything, and they can,” she said. “That’s our job, to get them to a place where they can be with their peers and do the things that they want to do, whether it’s playing sports or playing with their siblings.”
Pacheco Sanchez is pursuing a career in nursing to bring others the same support she’s received at Shriners.
She loves fashion, singing, and playing video games with her brother- a full life that she wants other kids to know is completely possible for them too.
“I know it’s hard, I know it’s rough. But at the end of the day, you’re unique for a reason,” she said. “Regardless of what people say or what you think, just know that with your family and the right people who love and support you, anything is possible.”
To learn more about the prosthetics and orthotics program at Shriners’ Children’s Hospital, visit their website here.
